Bizarre attack at Ohio State University carried out by honors student, police say

"I don't know what made him act like that," an acquaintance of the 18-year-old suspect said.

By Andrew V. Pestano and Doug G. Ware

A business
student at the Ohio State University injured as many as 11 people Monday
when he steered his vehicle off the road and into a group of students
-- then jumped out and slashing some of them with a butcher knife,
authorities said.

According to police and witnesses, the
attacker ran his car off the road in front of the Watts Hall building
and struck several people standing in the courtyard -- who had been
evacuated for a reported gas leak a short time earlier.

A campus police officer, Alan Horujko, was
already in the area due to the reported leak and witnessed the attack.
Just seconds after it began, officials said, Horujko shot the suspect
dead when he refused to drop the knife.

"We are very fortunate that an OSUPD officer was there and took quick action," campus police Chief Craig Stone said Monday afternoon.

The attacker was identified by police as Abdul Razak Ali Artan, a business undergraduate student at the university.

"America! Stop interfering with other
countries, especially Muslim Ummah. We are not weak. We are not weak,
remember that," the post said.

"We prepare for situations like this but we hope we never have one," OSU President Michael Drake said.

"Our top priority remains the safety and
security of our campus community. Our thoughts and prayers are with
those injured and their families," the school said in a statement. "Victim injuries include stab wounds, injury by motor vehicle and other injuries that are being evaluated."

After announcing the campus was secure and lifting the lockdown, the university said all classes were canceled for the rest of the day.

Artan, 18, graduated with honors from Columbus
State Commuity College in May before transferring to Ohio State, the
Columbus Dispatch reported.

Initially, an "active shooter" was reported on the campus but it was later determined that the suspect did not have a gun.

All of the injured people are expected to recover.

Authorities closed in on Artan's neighborhood after the shooting to interview neighbors and serve a warrant on his home.

"I don't know what made him act like that,"
Jack Ouham, who was casually acquainted with Artan, told the Dispatch.
"He don't drink. He don't smoke. He don't use narcotics."

"This is my first day. This place is huge and I
don't even know where to pray," he said. "I wanted to pray in the open,
but I was kind of scared with everything going on in the media...I was
kind of scared right now. But I just did it. I relied on God. I went to
the corner and just prayed."

Bizarre attack at Ohio State University carried out by honors student, police say
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